Contract Systems Test Engineer

Contract Systems Test Engineer £50 per hour, 37.5 hours per week.  Hybrid in Cambridge – 3 days on site (may be some flex once you’re embedded into the project) Duration: 8-12 months (we believe this falls Outside IR35 working rules, tbc) Please dont apply if you require sponsorship to work in the UK or are not based in the Cambridgeshire area due to on-site working.  We are looking for a contract systems test engineer to focus on developing and modernising production test systems for lighting controllers. The role will involve replacing ageing and fragile production test systems, which currently require significant engineering support to keep operational. This is not simply a role focused on writing or running tests; you will be involved in defining requirements, specifying the appropriate test hardware and working closely with engineers to design and build the complete test system. The hardware under test is primarily lighting controllers, with systems taking an Automated Test Equipment (ATE)-style, rack-based approach. Deep hardware engineering knowledge is not required, but strong experience with test and measurement systems and the ability to bring together the appropriate hardware and software into a complete test solution is essential.   What We're Looking For: We're looking for someone who can go beyond simply writing tests. You should be comfortable sitting down with engineers, whiteboarding the proposed system, defining the requirements, specifying the hardware and then helping to build the complete solution. You should be able to combine strong LabVIEW/TestStand development skills with practical experience of test and measurement systems and the ability to define and specify the hardware required to deliver an ATE. The ideal person will be someone who can own the test system from requirements and architecture through to hardware selection, integration and software development.   Key Responsibilities Develop new automated test systems from a clean slate, rather than inheriting an established technology stack. Work closely with engineers to understand testing requirements and define the overall test system. Translate requirements into appropriate test equipment, instrumentation and system architecture. Specify and select test hardware based on the requirements of the system. Design and build complete ATE and test stand solutions using commercially available, off-the-shelf equipment wherever possible. Develop test systems for lighting controllers using a rack-based ATE approach. Document system requirements, design decisions and test system configurations. Build and integrate test and measurement equipment into robust, maintainable test systems. Work collaboratively with engineering teams throughout the definition, design and development of the test system. Take ownership of the system design and be confident leading technical discussions around requirements, hardware and overall test architecture. Help move away from ageing, fragile production test systems towards more maintainable solutions.  Technical Requirements: Strong experience developing automated test systems using LabVIEW and/or TestStand. Experience with test and measurement equipment and integrating hardware into automated test systems and defining and specifying test hardware, rather than solely developing test software. Experience building or working with Automated Test Equipment (ATE) and/or test stands and the ability to understand testing requirements and determine the appropriate hardware and equipment needed to deliver the solution. Experience with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) test and measurement equipment is highly desirable. Familiarity with technologies such as NI PXI would be valuable. LabVIEW CVI experience is also relevant. A strong preference for maintainable, commercially available solutions rather than bespoke systems developed from scratch. Deep hardware engineering knowledge is not required, but you must be comfortable working with test hardware and measurement equipment